I used this picture of my dad recently but it still works and he looks so handsome. He was just 28 years old and saw so much already like so many men…and women did during that time. This is for my daddy who’s been gone for 36 years but I feel him near every day. I am joint the Monday Music Moves Me over at Curious As A Cathy.
1. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY SNG BY DORIS DAY-1944
This song was THE song for the servicemen coming home. My dad, who was wounded in the Reischwald forest near the end of the war, recuperated in a Belgian hospital, didn’t return until 1946 but, I’m certain, this song was still on top. It was written Les Brown and Ben Homer with lyrics by Bud Green and was a huge hit.
2. ENJOY YOURSELF WITH GUY LOMBARDO-1949
My dad loved Guy Lombardo and his all Canadian Band and saw them in concert plus he’d watch them on TV. I remember watching the New Year’s Eve specials with daddy who was always insistent on watching this Big Band orchestra on the CBC ( the Canadian TV channel). When Guy died, I remember my dad being very upset by this. This song resonates with me since I recently turned 60. This was written by Carl Sigman with lyrics by Herb Magidson.
3. THE LOG DRIVER’S WALTZ-1979
I’ve had this on my blog before but I just love this short from the National Film Board of Canada. My dad was in the logging and sawmill business, off and on, for most of his life. One of the happiest times is when he met my mom and they knew they were meant to be together. He was working at the Atlas Steeles and hated it, and bitched about it constantly until my mom finally told him to do something about it. This is when they found a very run down sawmill and a home surrounded by weeds, with no stairs to the basement but a door that opened to the downstairs ( I was 1 yr old and my brother was 4). Oh, and it was infested with mice and flies. My dad found his dream home and my mom didn’t want to tell anyone where she lived. Those 2 worked tirelessly and made a beautiful place where my brother and I grew up and, to this day, have fond memories.
What song makes you think of your dad?
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI hope you and my good buddy Harley are both well and in good spirits, dear friend. I'm dropping in to see you a few days in advance of my next three day blogging stint which begins this Saturday when I publish a new post. Hope you can join me.
I fully understand why you are proud to display this pic of your daddy. He certainly was a Dapper Dan, very distinguished looking, like actor David Niven or a young Walter Slezak:
https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0805790/mediaviewer/rm288973056/
I enjoyed your Father's Day music selections. Notice how the big band played all the way through "Sentimental Journey" before Doris sang the first note, a common arrangement during the Swing years.
The Guy Lombardo song is new to me and so is "Log Driver's Waltz." The vid you embedded is not available for viewing, so I took the liberty of finding one on YouTube, apparently the same one you tried to post provided by the National Film Board of Canada. I looked up the song's lyrics which include "The log driver's waltz pleases girls completely" and strongly suspect that it is a dirty ditty. Am I correct? Yessum, I remember you telling us that your dad worked in the industry and that you have fond childhood memories of playing in the sawmill.
Enjoy your day, dear friend BB. I'll be back to see you again tamale, waiting for you in the balcony-- "At The Movies!"
I know the first song quite well, and the chorus of the second - Jools Holland always ends with Enjoy Yourself in concert. The Log Driver’s Waltz is very entertaining!
ReplyDeleteI knew the Doris Day song but the other two were new to me. The Log Driver's video said "not available" so I went on You Tube and found one that played here in the United States, but it was cut short. I should post it on my blog for my Canadian readers. I have a couple.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet tribute to your dad!
ReplyDeleteI knew two out of three. I needed my VPN to see the third (see how handy those come in?). Wonderful tribute to your father...
ReplyDeleteI just love how you wove the songs into memories of your dad. How lovely that your mom supported him in creating his dream and they built a home together. They sound like wonderful people.
ReplyDeleteA lovely Father's Day tribute, and your dad was definitely handsome! I remember the first two songs, but not The Log Driver's Waltz. Cute! ☺
ReplyDeleteYour daddy sure was a handsome fellow and a sharp dressed man like so many from his time. "Sentimental Journey" is a great tune in tribute to your pops. While the years have slipped on by, I'm happy you still feel him near you. I'm holding on to every spoken word, touch, and memory I can of my daddy. Thanks for joining the party, Birgit. Have a good weekend! xo
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